Solar Cell Manufacturing Equipment

Solar cell manufacturing requires several thermal processing steps. These processes include, diffusion, drying, firing annealing, deposition, and coating of the solar cell. BTU provides thermal processing equipment for all of these process steps. We have been a pioneer and leader in the photovoltaic process equipment since the 1990’s for both the Silicon and Thin Film PV technologies.

The majority of PV generating capacity installed today is based on Silicon solar cells. Thin-film solar panels on glass or flexible foils are gaining market popularity. The most prevalent thin film solar panels are based on Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS), or amorphous Silicon (a-Si).

Photovoltaic (PV) technology is a clean energy, carbon-free alternative gaining tremendous momentum especially in today’s energy market. Fossil fuels have negative impacts on our environment and the costs continue to rise. In this decade new technologies and increasing manufacturing scale have reduced the cost and increased the efficiency of PV technology. While stimulus programs from governments around the world are still vital, projections indicate that ‘grid parity’, when PV technology can directly compete with fossil-fuel generated power, is now in sight.